House of Assembly: Thursday, September 25, 2014

Contents

Emergency Departments

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): The opposition is being contacted by an emergency physician, in fact, several emergency physicians, who regard the new triage model as dangerous. Can the minister guarantee that the new quick look triage model planned for the new Royal Adelaide Hospital will not compromise patient safety?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:23): I can guarantee that any change we make at the Royal Adelaide Hospital will not compromise patient safety. We never do anything—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: The doctors there—

Mr Marshall: Put that in writing!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I have said it in the parliament; I will happily put it in writing. The simple fact is we will never make any change that would compromise patient safety. At the end of the day—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —I take—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader—

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: You do look like Basil Fawlty, don't you, when you carry on like that.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned, and the Minister for Health is warned, and clearly there was no contrition in his withdrawal of the reference to the leader as Basil Fawlty.